Recently, Delhi received a spell of heavy rainfall, which surprised most people, with 228 mm. One, it recorded the highest daily rainfall of 1mm in the early morning of June 28th—the rainiest day of June since 1936.
IMD Chief Dr. M Mohapatra said this was like a cloudburst involving intense, localized rainfall activity that remains a tough task to forecast worldwide. This indicates that although there is a prediction of rain in June, the chances of such a heavy downpour (more than 204. 4 mm) in New Delhi is unlikely.
Analysts relate this to an unstable environment and the impact that a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal coupled with the vigorous southwest monsoon had to make. An accumulation of warmer and moist air over the capital ignited spirited convection over the area.
Despite understanding the challenges associated with predicting such events, Dr. Mohapatra recognized that a lot of improvement has been made in the area but stressed that “There are services where it becomes almost impossible to predict.”
Therefore, the IMD intends to place three more radars in Delhi-NCR and set up an urban flood warning system. Initiatives are also being made to advance the lead time of heavy rain advisories from 1. 5 to 3 hours. With climate change, such extreme events are likely to increase, thus increasing the demand for efficient monitoring and early warning.
